Camila Rivera-Morales, PhD
Education and training
Postdoctoral Fellowship – New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Clinical Internship – New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) – The New School for Social Research
Master of Arts (MA) – The New School for Social Research
Bachelor of Arts (BA) – The University of Virginia
Professional interests
Psychotherapy in English and Spanish with adolescents, adults, and families
Approaches to therapeutic action: trauma-informed, harm-reduction, integrated (teaching skills and building insight)
Role of personality structure and pathology on symptom presentation and behavior patterns
Affective and psychosis spectrum disorders
Persistent post traumatic stress associated with complex trauma, including exposure to carceral systems
A little about me
I believe in providing inclusive, patient-centered care and strive to offer quality treatment in Spanish or English to populations that commonly have barriers to accessing it. I study and teach about psychosocial and sociocultural aspects of care, and aim to strengthen the alliance between psychotherapy and primary care.
Why I love my job
The field of psychology has participated in perpetuating systems of oppression, thus contributing to disparities in service access and quality amongst vulnerable and underserved communities. I believe that resisting this harmful trend and taking initiative to support those who are most in need of quality resources is essential to collective psychic and social progress. I want to be part of this kind of change.
Professional certifications or affiliations
The American Psychological Association
Professional Experience and Accomplishments
Dr. Rivera-Morales (she / her / ella) teaches about psychosocial aspects of health and illness. She provides psychotherapy to adolescents and adults, most of whom report significant histories of trauma and identify as members of a marginalized group. Specialty areas and research interests include:
-intergenerational transmission of trauma,
-connections between trauma, acute psychiatric diagnoses, and substance use,
-influence of personality organization on cognition and behavior,
-clinician-patient dynamics in the treatment of psychosis spectrum disorders,
-sociocultural considerations in treatment.
Dr. Rivera-Morales’s doctoral dissertation examined the relationships between parenting styles, neighborhood conditions, exposures to community threat or violence, exposures to racial and ethnic discrimination, and intergenerational trauma in a group of Latinx parents.